Travel to Montenegro - Montenegrin Mountains

Within the general area one can always find “out of the way” areas that
defy convention and stick out from the rest. The old capital of Cetinje
is one such magical place, located high in the mountains above Kotor
where it rests on a small plateau with breathtaking views.

A trip to
Cetinje will confirm that few places in the world are similar.
Additionally, you can travel higher from Cetinje until you reach a
height of more than 1.5 kilometers (2.1 miles) above sea level. At
this extraordinary height you will reach the mausoleum and final
resting place of the poet, philosopher and benevolent Montenegrin ruler
Petar II Petrović Njegoš.
This awe-inspiring monument certainly has no
comparison in Europe due to its dramatic setting between mountain and
sky.

As in the case of Petar II Petrović Njegoš, the practice of forging a
single persona from multiple desirable characteristics of governor,
poet and a philosopher is a unique historical practice and has few
comparisons throughout ancient and modern history; however, this type
of melding personal characteristics between the practical and the
artistic now seems everyday in Montenegro and helps define this special
country.

Petar II also contributed greatly to the tradition of prominent poets
that have called Montenegro their home. Montenegro’s poetry shows us
the country’s unique soul in its true embodiment – one that is meant to
inspire contemplation and inner peace. To better understand the soul of
this great country, it is necessary to visit its historic treasures, to
climb Mount Lovcen and gaze out for as far as the eye can see, finding
Montenegro’s highest mountain peaks where they rest before you.

Montenegro’s mountains can often provide you an entire panorama of
vistas as you gaze down on Old Montenegro at your feet. These
awe-inspiring natural monuments include the mountain Njeguši, the
patron mount of the Petrović dynasty. From mount Njeguši you will see
the city of Cetinje, one of the region’s ancient capitals. If you
continue your gaze down the mountain, below you lays “Boka Bay” where
the city of Kotor rests on its near bank. In the opposite direction
the Zeta River valley stretches serenely before you. Finally, to your
left you will also see Lake Skadar, one of Europe’s prominent nature
reserves and cultural heritage sites. On a truly clear day, the coast
of Italy is also visible on the horizon!

Here we have mentioned the idea of “Old Montenegro”. The mountains in
the region represent a kind of “Old Montenegro”. The mountains are a
type of breeding ground, a cradle for the ongoing veins of Montenegrin
independence that run throughout this country’s history. This is
because for Montenegro’s people, freedom has always been more important
than life’s other necessities and that is why difficulties and
deprivations of life in the mountains, living among the rough-hewn
stones, was more preferable then being made a slave in the wake of
invading nations that often overtook Montenegro.

If you were to consider the relief map of Montenegro which is kept in
the ancient Montenegrin capital of Cetinje, you would immediately see
that the country has practically no flat surfaces, except for a large
plain called Zetsko and of course the equally immense flat surface of
Lake Skadar. In fact, all of Montenegro’s territory consists of a
diverse array of mountains and canyons that spring to life with pure
mountain rivers that punch-drunkenly move their way down towards the
Adriatic sea, with the occasional straggler moving its way in the
opposite direction towards the Black Sea.

Additionally, Montenegro is occasionally the butt of a regional joke
because of its relatively small size when compared to other Balkan
states. The joke often involves a man or woman you carries a
"full-scale map of Montenegro" in their pocket. However, a joke often
reveal another truth: Montenegro is manageable in size for a traveller
with a week or more to explore several of its sites – however one can
also pass a lifetime in Montenegro and never see everything that the
country offers visitors.

One of the best ways to gain an authentic feeling for Montenegro
involves rafting down the Tara river that flows between Sinjavina and
Durmitor mountains to your left and Bjelasica, Ljubishne, and Zlatny
Bor mountains to your right. Because of its legendary clarity, the Tara
River is named "the tear of Europe ", and travelling its waters is an
enjoyable activity that is accessible even to beginners. Other true
delights along the Tara include the ancient relic woodlands that dot
its banks, waterfalls and to follow the flight of an eagle held aloft
above you as you gaze from the bottom of Europe’s deepest canyon.

Mountain Tourism:
Durmitor mountain is the centre of Montenegrin mountain tourism. The
tourist facilities for Durmitor Mountain are concentrated around the
town of Žabljak. During the winter, the main activities on Durmitor include skiing and
snowboarding. However, in the summer activities shift to mountaineering
and recreational tourism. One of the most prominent attractions on or
near Durmitor mountain include its 18 glacial lakes, best known of
which is Crno Lake.

Although it is the smallest of the four principal National Parks in
Montenegro, Biogradska Gora near the Kolashin area, is the oldest of
the four and contains a diversity of flora and fauna unlike anywhere
else. There are 26 different plant habitats making a home for 220
different plant species, 150 kinds of birds, and 10 kinds of mammals.
In the Park’s forests alone there are 86 kinds of trees and shrubs.
Finally, in the waters of the Park there exist three kinds of trout and
many other aquatic species.

Basic elements of Biogradska Gora include: untouched forests with trees
over five hundred years old, large mountain slopes and glacial lakes
found at altitudes as high as 1820m (nearly 6000 feet).

It is also possible to visit Skadar Lake, which many millennia ago was
a part of the sea but after some impressive geological history is now
considered one of the most attractive freshwater lakes in the world.
Skadar Lake includes uncounted opportunities for boating and fishing
or you can simply observe the lives of rare birds living in the Lake’s
many protected bird habitats. For example, the rare Dalmatian Pelican
(pelecanus crispus) has become the symbol of Lake Skadar and the need
to preserve this unique area.

Like Ancient Greece or the past stories surrounding Celtic culture,
Montenegro is surrounded by myths and legends. The need to form and
absorb myths, passing them from one generation to the next by
incorporating them into cultural life is perhaps one of the basic
features of the Montenegrin psyche. For those who live to share and
partake in myths, the events of ages past at times have a greater
urgency to be relived than what has in fact occurred today.

For example, the fact that during the events of the Russia-Japanese war
many years ago, Montenegro sided with the Russians and thousands of
volunteers travelled to distant Russia to serve in the Russian army and
navy, shows the great esteem Russia and Montenegro have for one
another. By the way, it is not common knowledge but one legend says
that the war symbolically ended with a traditional duel between two
Samurai. Russia was represented by Montenegrin Saicic, who literally
tore his opponent to pieces. In more modern days, a peace treaty was
recently signed with Japan soon after Montenegro’s announcement of its
independence.

Another myth that continues to circulate here in Montenegro is that
Russia and Montenegro combined represent 300 million people. This may
seem absurd because for years Russia alone will total her population at
a scant 150 million, this in comparison with the population of
Montenegro at about 650 thousand.

On the other hand, after you consider the prominence of Montenegrins in
Russian life and affairs, the idea of 300 million people makes more
sense. In Russia since the time of Peter the Great, Montenegrins were
a privileged elite in Russian society, as they commanded fleets and
army regiments, became governers of Russian provinces and oversaw
important factories and mines. The peak of rapproachement between the
Russian and Montenegrin monarchies really came during the beginning of
the 20th century when two daughters of Montenegro's Prince Nikola I
formed a familial bond with the Grand Princes Romanov. In 1910 King
Nikola received the rank of Field Marshal of the Russian Army, an
important ceremonial position. However, by a twist of fate, his
honourable post was not to last. The last days of the Romanovs’ time
as rulers of Russia had already come and their days on the throne were
numbered. Both families had ascended to power at almost the same time
and both ruled for about 300 years before their time came to an end. A
young general born in Montenegro named Andrija Bakic was among the last
that combatted bolshevism during the early days of the violent Civil
War in Russia.

The resulting victory by the Bolsheviks ended the Russian monarchy and
a breakage of the historical communications between the two countries
followed. In Russia, communists tried to delete all memory of the
past. Meanwhile, Montenegro lost its independence again, becoming a
part of the newly formed Yugoslavia.

Cetinje, once the seat of Royal power, has almost not changed since the
king lived there. Maybe the only change is that the chestnut trees and
lindens that line its shady avenues have grown older, and the city is
now dotted with a few decaying embassies once dedicated to foreign
powers, among which the Russian embassy is the most representative of
this grim history.
Montenegro's independence was originally recognized by the decision of
the Berlin Congress (1878) and for a time Cetinje became the capital of
a small, but culturally and historically distinguished European
country. After a wave of new constitution in 1993, Cetinje again took
life and today it is more similar to a city-museum, while Podgorica is
now the capital and host to the country’s parlament and majority of
administrative offices.

Traditional Montenegro folk dances: "kolo", a little bit reminding
Russian "round dance", danced to the accompaniment of voices or even
without an accompaniment. Also without compare, the "?r?" which is a
circle dance that involves the dancers standing on each other's
shoulders in a circle. This is probably one of the best illustrations
of the country's proud spirit because participants struggle to reach
the top at any cost, an analogy for the modern Montenegrin man. Heroism
is a characteristic trait cultivated in Montenegro until just recently
and it has not yet been completely drowned out by the new century of
practicality. Another Montenegrin “heroic spirit” is represented by a
song by famous Russian poet and bard Vladimir Vysotsky who complained
because Montenegro cannot become «his second homeland». In Podgorica
you can still see his monument.

However in out search to find a true symbol of Montenegro, what have we
found? One possibility is the «gusli» as most symbolic. The gusli is a
unique musical instrument which has only one string, but is still
capable of expressing all possible depth of feeling and the many shades
of the person playing on it. Or perhaps a better choice would be the
«diple» - the local version of the bagpipes and the favourite musical
instrument of Montenegrin mountaineers? A diple festival is held
annually at Negushi at the height of 850 metres (2800 feet) above sea
level. By the way, nearby you will find the native land of some of the
main Montenegrin specialties: njegushski cheese and prshut.

Food is another way of studying of the country and restaurant menus
provide excellent research. However, to study a culture via her food,
you must also arm yourself with patience: you should not be limited to
just the aforementioned “cheese and prshut”, because Montenegrin
cuisine contains dozens, if not hundreds distinct dishes and drinks...

This overview does little to exhaust the whole of Montenegro, and
everyone has a possibility of choosing his own unique way to discover
an answer to the question: «What is Montenegro?».